Washing-machine.



P. L. WALKER.

`WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLBD 11110.31, 1910. RENBWLD SEPT. 30, 1911.

1,024,381 Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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TinTTnD sTATns PATENT ornron FRANK I. WALKER, OF CHATTAROY, WASHINGTON.

WASHING-IVIACHINE.

Application filed December 31, 1910, Serial No. 600,224. Renewed September 30, 1911.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK L. WALKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chattaroy, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in W ashing-h/achines, of which the following is a specification. j

rIhis invention relates to washing machines of that class in which the tub supported for rotation in an approximately horizontal plane is adapted to receive the garments: that are to be operated upon, said garments being subjected to the action of a plunger that is mounted for reciprocation in an approximately vertical plane; the ob-A ject of t-he invention being to simplify and improve the construction and operation of a washing machine of the class referred to. IVith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which illustrated a simple and will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein eX- hibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective View of a washing machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the tub having been rew moved. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 343 in Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

A stool or supporting member is provided, the same being composed of legs or uprights l and a top member 2. The top member of the stool carries a centrally disposed upstanding pivot or spindle 3 upon which the tub supporting disk 4 is supported for rotation, said diskbeing additionally supported adjacent to its outer edge by means of anti-friction rollers 5, 5 mounted upon the top member of the stool or supporting frame. The tub supporting disk is provided with a circumferential upstanding flange 6 having a circumferential series of teeth 7 constituting a spur wheel. The

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Serial No. 652,178.

iange 6 is also provided at diametrically opposite sides thereof with upstanding lugs S thro-ugh which set screws 9 are threaded. A tub 10 of ordinary construction may be supported upon the disk 4 where it is clamped in position by means of the set screws 9.

The supporting stool is provided at diametrically opposite sides thereof with an upright 11 and an upwardly extending frame 12, the lower end of said frame being provided with bearings fora vertically disposed shaft 13 carrying a pinion 14 which is in mesh with the spurwheel formed b. the teeth 7 upon the disk 4. The frame 12 also affords a bearing for a horizontally disposed operating shaft 15 carrying a fly wheel 16 having a crank or handle 17 whereby it may be operated. The fly wheel 16 is also provided with teeth or spurs forming an arcuate rack 18 adapted to mesh with t-he pinion 14, which latter will thus be actuated intermittently when the Hy wheel is rotated, thus imparting to the tub supporting disk 4 an intermittent, or step by step advancing rotary movement.

The shaft l5 that carries the fly wheel also carries a disk 19 having a wrist pin 2O which is connected by a pitman 21 with one end of a lever 22 which is fulcrumed upon the up right 11 at the diametrically opposite side of the stool or supporting frame. Suitably connected with the lever 22 is the stem 23 of a pounder comprising a perforated funnel 24 and an imperforate funnel r hood 25, said pounder being slidably connected with the stem 23, and a spring 26 being provided whereby the pounder is normally forced in a downward direction so as to be capable of yielding upwardly in case the contents of the tub should be unevenly packed and thereby avoiding injurious strain upon the parts of the machine.

In the operation of this invention the fly wheel is rotated, thus imparting through the pinion 14 an intermittent or step by step advancing rotary motion to the tub which is supported upon the disk 4 having the teeth 7 engaged by the pinion. At the same time the pitman 21 actuates the lever 22, thereby reciprocating the pounder which is thus made to operate upon the contents of the tub.

This improved device, as will be seen from the foregoing description, is simple in construction, and it may be manufactured and marketed at a very moderate expense. The construction of the device enables any tub of ordinary construction to be used, and the facility with which the tub may be mounted in position for operation enables the said tub to be detached and removed without removing its contents and a fresh tub to be placed in position containing garments to be operated upon while the garments in the irst mentioned tub are being rinsed and otherwise disposed of.

The rack portion 18 upon the fly wheel 16 is to be arranged in such position relatively' to the wrist pin 20 upon the disk 19 and to the pitman 21 and lever 22 that the pounder actuated by said lever will descend at a time when the pinion 14 is not engaged by the rack teeth 1S, so that the tub supporting disk will be stationary as the pounder approaches the lower limit of its movement, thus relieving the pounder from lateral pressure occasioned by contact with the con-v tents of the tub, and consequently avoiding danger of tearing the garments by contact with the pounder as the latter descends.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame, a disk mounted thereon for rotation in a horizontal plane and having an upstanding toothed lange and lugs provided with clamp screws, a tub mounted on the disk and held by the clamp screws, a frame and an upright rising at diametrically opposite sides of the supporting frame,

a pinion supported upon the upstanding frame in mesh with the teeth of the tub sup- I porting disk, a wheel supported for rotation upon the upstanding frame and having a rack to intermittently engage the pinion when the wheel is rotated, a disk operatively connected with the wheel and having a wrist pin, a lever ulcrumed upon the upright diametrically opposite to the upstanding frame, a pitman connecting the lever with the wrist pin, and a pounder carried by the lever.

2. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame having antifriction rollers mounted thereon, a tub supporting disk mounted upon the supporting frame in engagement with the anti-friction rollers for rotation in a horizontal plane, said disk being provided with a toothed flange and with upstanding lugs having clamp screws, a tub mounted upon the supporting disk and held by the clamp screws, a frame and an upright v rising at diametrically opposite sides of the supporting frame, a mutilated gear wheel supported for rotation upon the upstanding frame, a pinion supported for rotation upon t-he upstanding frame in mesh with the teeth of the tub supporting disk and adapted for intermittent engagement with the mutilated gear, a lever ulcrumed upon the upright rising from the supporting frame, a pounder carried by said lever, and means connecting said lever with the mutilated gear wheel for rocking said lever when the wheel is rotated.

In testimony whereof I afiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. WALKER.

Witnesses:

V. R. FOSTER, FRED GUENTHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

